The aromatherapy spray was made in India and imported to the US, where it was sold at Walmart stores on the company's website from February to 21 October this year, reported an India-based news outlet.
Walmart was selling the product for USD4, approximately RM17.
According to The Hindu yesterday, 23 October, the product is labelled "Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones" and was found on 6 October in the home of a Georgia resident who became ill with melioidosis in late July.
It reported the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that the spray contained a bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei, that causes the rare but deadly disease.
The genetic profile of the bacteria in the bottle is similar to that of strains usually found in South Asia, The Associated Press reported while citing America's public health agency as saying.
Melioidosis is rare in the US, with about 12 cases reported annually.